CHAPTER 27 Sounding Spring: Vivaldi and the Baroque Concer-
to
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The instrumental form based on the contrast of two dissimilar bodies of sound is called a
a. symphony. c. suite.
b. sonata. d. concerto.
2. The typical solo concerto has ________ movements.
a. two c. four
b. three d. six
3. The ________ form in a concerto is loosely based on the alternation between orchestral statements and virtuosic passages for the
soloist.
a. ritornello c. refrain
b. cadenza d. sinfonia
4. A ritornello form in a concerto is typically found in
a. the first movement only. c. the first and third movements.
b. the second movement. d. all of the movements.
5. Which of the following was the greatest and most prolific Italian composer of concertos?
a. Vivaldi c. Handel
b. Purcell d. Bach
6. Antonio Vivaldi was known as the fired priest” for
a. his political affiliations. c. the color of his hair.
b. his violent temper. d. his red house.
7. Vivaldi lived and worked in
a. Florence. c. Rome.
b. Venice. d. Bologna.
8. Which of the following is Vivaldi’s best-known set of concertos?
a. The Four Seasons c. Water Music
b. the Brandenburg Concertos d. Music for the Royal Fireworks
9. The solo instrument in Spring, from The Four Seasons, is the
a. violin. c. cello.
b. viola. d. harpsichord.
10. Which of the following characterizes Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?
a. The concertos are based on poems.
b. The concertos are structured in three-movement forms.
c. The concertos convey pictorial images.
d. All answers shown here.
11. The opening movement of Spring, from The Four Seasons, is in ________ form.
a. sonata-allegro c. minuet and trio
b. ritornello d. binary
12. In the slow movement of Spring, from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi evokes a dog’s barking through
a. trills and running scales. c. a folk dance.
b. fast staccato notes. d. an ostinato rhythm.
13. Vivaldi was a composer born in
a. France. c. Germany.
b. Italy. d. Austria.
14. Where was the concerto first developed?
a. Italy c. France
b. Germany d. England
15. Music that mirrors an accompanying poem is called ________ music.
a. program c. absolute
b. literary d. None of the answers shown here.
16. The Four Seasons is program music because
a. Vivaldi’s music mirrors the accompanying poems.
b. the title suggests nature.
c. Vivaldi was also a poet.
d. Vivaldi dedicated the work to a friend who was also a poet.
17. Word-painting is to vocal music as ________ is to instrumental music.
a. program music c. concerto
b. Vivaldi d. ritornello form
18. What is the typical sequence for a concerto?
a. Allegro-Adagio-Allegro c. Adagio-Allegro-Andante
b. Adagio-Allegro-Allegro d. Allegro-Andante-Allegro
19. What images are evoked in Spring, the first movement of The Four Seasons?
a. birds c. thunder and lightning
b. a stream d. All answers shown here.
20. What images does Vivaldi evoke in the Largo of The Four Seasons?
a. birds c. nymphs
b. goatherd d. a stream
21. A concerto is an instrumental
a. form based on the opposition between two dissimilar bodies of sound.
b. genre in several movements for a soloist or small ensemble.
c. form based on the opposition between two similar bodies of sound.
d. genre based on the opposition between a small group of solo instruments and orchestra.
22. Vivaldi was the greatest and most prolific Italian composer of
a. opera. c. symphonies.
b. concertos. d. arias.
23. How many violin concertos did Vivaldi compose?
a. over 230 c. 32
b. about 65 d. 100
24. Vivaldi was music master at
a. St. Mark’s in Venice.
b. the Conservatorio dell’Ospedale della Pieta in Venice.
c. St. Peter’s in Rome.
d. the Church of the Virgin Mary in Milan.
25. Vivaldi was renowned in his day as a(n)
a. composer. c. instrument maker.
b. performer. d. priest.
1. The typical Baroque concerto is written for a solo instrument with a continuo accompaniment.
2. The concerto lends itself to virtuoso playing.
3. The tempos in a three-movement concerto are Adagio-Allegro-Andante.
4. Antonio Vivaldi composed over two hundred concertos for solo violin.
5. Vivaldi lived in Rome, where he taught music at a girls’ school.
6. Bach composed the famous set of works known as the Brandenburg Concertos.
7. The Four Seasons is considered to be program music.
8. In Spring from The Four Seasons, all of the fiimages” are created in the orchestra passages.
9. In the first movement, Spring, both the poem and music evoke birds, a stream, and thunder and lightning.
10. Vivaldi was a composer who primarily worked for the church.
11. Vivaldi was a German composer who is credited with developing the concerto.
12. A concerto is an instrumental genre based on the opposition between a small group of solo instruments and orchestra.
13. Vivaldi was the music master at a school for orphaned girls.
14. Vivaldi was an ordained priest.
15. The Four Seasons is program music because it uses word-painting.
ESSAY
1. How did Baroque composers provide unity and contrast in concerto movements? Include examples in your answer.
2. Describe the specific images that Vivaldi created in Spring from The Four Seasons.
3. Describe the similarities and differences between word-painting used in vocal works and program music.
4. Describe the basic outline of a concerto.
